Joey Barton RSS feedhttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/joey-barton
enBarton: They built me up into a Neymar-Messi typeDespite making just eight appearances, one-time England international Joey Barton does not regret signing for Rangers.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/barton-they-built-me-a-neymar-messi-type
Former Rangers midfielder Joey Barton said he was hyped up to be a Lionel Messi or Neymar type of player by the Scottish media.
Barton endured a forgettable spell in Glasgow, parting ways with Rangers last month after his time at Ibrox turned sour following a training incident involving Andy Halliday.
The one-time capped England international and Halliday clashed after September's 5-1 Old Firm defeat to bitter rivals Celtic and he was initially suspended for three weeks before that ban was extended.
Despite making just eight appearances, Barton - who is training with former club Burnley in the Premier League - does not regret signing for the Rangers.
"I'd still have signed for Rangers - it was an opportunity that I couldn't pass," Barton told BBC Radio 5 live.
"It's a great football club, it's somewhere if they get it right it is a phenomenal place - it's completely unique.
"[But] the media were quite critical of me when I was up there.
"That's the nature of the industry when you're Joey Barton and you go and play for Rangers who are a massive club in Scotland.
"You're going to get criticism if you don't play fantastically well and I didn't play fantastically well there, albeit I only lasted eight games.
"The difficulty for me lay in the fact that before I went up there they kind of built me into this Neymar, Messi kind of player, which I wasn't.
"I'm a player that's never been blessed with an enormous amount of talent, speed, tricks. I'm somebody who has always served the higher purpose in terms of the team, always done well when that's been at the fore. I've never done particularly well when the onus has been on me to go on and create and do things.
"Everyone was saying 'you've been caught out by the standard of Scottish football, you've looked down your nose at Scottish football'. I didn't. I knew what I was getting into."
news_articleThu, 08 Dec 2016 05:20:20 +0000Anonymous660872 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comDyche confirms Barton is training at BurnleyJoey Barton is training with Burnley in an attempt to get fit after his Rangers exit and Sean Dyche did not rule out signing the midfielder.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/dyche-confirms-barton-training-burnley
Sean Dyche has confirmed that Joey Barton is training with Burnley after having his Rangers contract terminated to end an unhappy spell in Scotland.
Barton's Rangers stay turned sour when the one-time capped England international clashed in training with team-mate Andy Halliday in the wake of September's 5-1 Old Firm defeat to bitter rivals Celtic.
He was initially exiled for three weeks as punishment, but that absence was increased in October when the Scottish Football Association charged him for breaching betting rules.
Barton was ultimately found guilty of that indiscretion and banned for one match, but he may never face that suspension after departing Rangers and he could be in line for a return to Burnley, whom he helped to Premier League promotion last season.
"He's not with the first team," Dyche clarified to reporters. "He's doing background fitness work with the sports science team. That's an ongoing thing until things change in the future.
"He's had an indifferent time with being away from the club and different things going on in Scotland.
"So it's about getting him fit and sharp. That's good for him - who knows about us? We'll take that [whether to approach him about signing] on when I see fit."
There is certainly no chance of Barton being involved against his former side Manchester City on Saturday, a match that will see Dyche go head-to-head with a coach whom he has huge respect for.
"I think he [Pep Guardiola] is fantastic," Dyche said. "I have absolute respect for these people and the things that they've achieved in the game. He's certainly the top end of the market.
"He has changed their sharpness, both out of possession and in possession and I think he's brought that in as a key factor among lots of other things, including changing the shape and the tactics regularly.
"It's easier said than done to press these teams. You have to press at appropriate times and it's a case of how the game pans out."
news_articleThu, 24 Nov 2016 16:37:08 +0000Anonymous655282 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBarton handed one-match suspension over betting breachesJoey Barton will have to serve a one-match ban if he joins a new club following his departure from Rangers.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/barton-handed-one-match-suspension-over-betting-breaches
Joey Barton has been handed a one-match ban by the Scottish Football Association after breaching betting regulations.
Barton, whose contract at Rangers was cancelled earlier this month, admitted to placing 44 bets on matches in contravention of disciplinary rules.
It remains to be seen whether Barton serves the punishment as his future remains surrounded in uncertainty.
The 34-year-old former Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder - capped once by England - is yet to find a new club following his Ibrox departure.
Barton made just eight appearances for the Scottish Premiership side before being suspended for a training ground argument with team-mate Andy Halliday in the aftermath of September's 5-1 defeat to Old Firm rivals Celtic.
There was ultimately no way back and his playing career now hinges on whether another club is willing to give him an opportunity.
He has been linked with a return to Burnley, with whom he won the Championship last season after a highly successful nine-month stint at Turf Moor.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche, speaking on Thursday, refused to rule out Barton returning in January and has offered him the opportunity to train with the Clarets in the meantime.
Dyche said: "There's lots of players in my past I've helped out. If he felt he needed a base to get fit, among many other players I've helped out, I'd listen.
"Beyond that, that would be it. The rest is for the future. That's not for now.
"Myself and my staff have helped out young players, old players, phone calls to other clubs. If Joey requires our support here, he'd get that.
"That's if he requires that. If he doesn't, he'll move forward to where he needs to move forward to.
"It's a situation where, if he called me and said 'can I train?', we'd help him out the best we could.
"If there's any guarantee beyond that, that's for the future, not for now.”
news_articleThu, 17 Nov 2016 15:58:30 +0000Anonymous652068 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comRangers and Barton part waysAfter mounting speculation over recent days, Rangers have terminated Joey Barton's contract.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/rangers-and-barton-part-ways
Joey Barton's Rangers contract has been terminated with immediate effect, the Scottish Premiership club have confirmed.
Barton was reported to have been signed off by Rangers with stress earlier this week as negotiations continued over severance terms to end an unhappy spell in Glasgow.
The 34-year-old former Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder – capped once by England – only returned to training with Rangers last week after a club suspension against him was lifted.
The sanction, for an initial three weeks, came as a result of a training ground argument with team-mate Andy Halliday in the aftermath of September's 5-1 defeat to Old Firm rivals Celtic.
Barton's ban was extended last month, when he was also charged by the Scottish Football Association for allegedly breaching betting rules.
His return to Mark Warburton's squad ultimately proved to be short-lived and a brief statement released by Rangers on Thursday read: "Rangers and Joey Barton have agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect.
"Neither Rangers nor Joey Barton will comment further."
Barton played for Burnley last season, helping Sean Dyche's men to promotion to the Premier League as Championship winners, while Derby County have been linked with acquiring his services.
news_articleThu, 10 Nov 2016 16:09:37 +0000Anonymous649422 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comSee ya, Joey! 7 memorable short-term spells to rival Barton's Rangers sojournThe Glasgow giants and former Manchester City midfielder agreed a mutual contract termination this week.Jake Conneelylooks back at other stints that were over before theyd really begunhttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/see-ya-joey-7-memorable-short-term-spells-rival-bartons-rangers-sojourn
1. Chop Souey
Graeme Souness has always come across as a tough and fearless character in his roles as player, manager and pundit, but even he probably still has nightmares about Ali Dia.
While in charge of Southampton in 1996, the Scot received a call from someone purporting to be George Weah, the Milan striker who'd been named FIFA World Player of the Year a few months previously. The caller advised Souness to sign his cousin, who'd supposedly represented Paris Saint-Germain in the past, and Dia was duly offered a one-month contract.
An injury sustained by Matt Le Tissier after just 32 minutes of Southampton's Premier League clash with Leeds saw the striker summoned from the bench, but it was clear almost immediately that something was amiss. "Bambi on ice" was how Le Tissier described a truly dreadful performance; Souness, realising he'd been had - the person on the phone was a university student rather than a world-class footballer - hooked Dia before the end of the encounter.
The youngster was released just two weeks into his deal, securing his position as the worst signing in Premier League history.
2. Heart, no Sol
Sol Campbell made a bold decision in choosing to joinArsenal from north London rivals Tottenhamin 2001, but that wasn't the most eye-catching move of his career.
After three years at Portsmouth, the 34-year-old found himself without a club at the start of the 2009/10 campaign. It wasn't much of a surprise that the centre-back wanted to continue playing; what did come as a shock, though, was the identity of his next employers.
League Two outfit Notts County had recently appointed Sven-Goran Eriksson as their director of football, and it was the former England boss' influence - as well as the offer of a £40,000-a-week contract - that persuaded Campbell to drop down to the fourth tier. He didn't last long, though, departing after just a single appearance amid accusations of broken promises.
3. Didi really sign?
Dietmar Hamann was deemed surplus to requirements at Liverpool in the summer of 2006, with Bolton manager Sam Allardyce quickly pouncing in a bid to bring the German to the Reebok.
Hamann was won over by Allardyce's offer and penned a pre-contract agreement with the Trotters, only to change his mind and join Manchester City a mere 24 hours later.
It wasn't all bad news for Bolton, though: the club received £300,000 in compensation from City, which was a tidy sum of money for a day's work.
4. Guardiola sent packing
Hold your horses, Manchester City fans, we don't meanthatGuardiola. It was Sergio rather than Pep who earned the wrath of his employers last year, with Barcelona terminating the youngster's contract just a day after it was signed.
His crime? Making offensive comments about the club on Twitter a few years before. Guardiola denied writing the posts himself and tried to shift the blame onto a friend, but Barca weren't buying it. The Spaniard moved to Granada shortly after and is currently on loan at Adelaide United.
OFFICIAL: Sergi #Guardiola is officially a red. Excited reds fans? #FPF pic.twitter.com/ks0DmgvzaQ Front Page Football (@FrontPgFootball) September 22, 2016
5. Five-day all-inclusive in Turkey
Despite enjoying some success during his four years with Watford, Hameur Bouazza proved to be yet another poor Lawrie Sanchez signing at Fulham.
Few tears were therefore shed at Craven Cottage when Sivasspor swooped in for his signature in 2009, but the Turkish sunshine wasn't enough to prevent the Algerian's early exit. Bouazza played only one match for the club before departing five days after signing, the midfielder stating his desire to find a different project elsewhere.
Perhaps he just fancied a bit of sea air: Blackpool was Bouazza's next destination.
6. Take me home
It's common for players to retain an affection for the club where they began their career, particularly if they also managed to win a trophy during their formative years, as David Unsworth did at Everton.
The defender struggled to move on emotionally following his exit from Goodison Park in 1997; after a year at West Ham, Unsworth was sold to Aston Villa for £3 million, but a bout of homesickness brought his time in the Midlands to an end just one month later. Everton heeded his call and brought him back to Merseyside, where he remained until 2004.
7. Welcome to Sarajevo
A different language, culture and cuisine can all be difficult for players to adapt to upon moving abroad, but Javier Hervas had a very specific reason for failing to settle in Sarajevo after swapping Brisbane Roar for Zeljeznicarin the summer.
While walking his dog in the capital, the Spaniard and his wife were attacked by a group of stray dogs on the street. Understandably saken by the incident, Javier Hervas decided to call a premature end to his Bosnian adventure despite not having yet played a game, with the club agreeing to terminate his contract.
New features you'd like every day on FourFourTwo.com
featureThu, 10 Nov 2016 10:45:39 +0000Greg Lea648988 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comRangers lift Barton suspensionRangers have lifted the suspension of Joey Barton, who has not featured since the 5-1 drubbing at the hands of rivals Celtic in September.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/rangers-lift-barton-suspension
Joey Barton is to resume training with Rangers after his club-imposed suspension was lifted on Wednesday.
The former Manchester City and Burnley midfielder was initially banned for three weeks following a training ground argument with a team-mate in the aftermath of Rangers' humiliating 5-1 defeat to Old Firm rivals Celtic in September.
Barton, who joined Rangers on a free transfer in the close-season, had his ban extended last month and his future at Ibrox was shrouded in doubt.
However, Rangers released a short statement via their official website confirming that he will re-join training.
"Joey Barton has been told he will return to full-time training following the conclusion of a disciplinary procedure," it read.
"The Auchenhowie management team will inform the player of appropriate training arrangements to which he must adhere for as long as he remains a Rangers player. Neither the club nor the player will comment further."
Barton was initially exiled by Rangers after an exchange of words with Andy Halliday following the hammering at Celtic Park, with manager Mark Warburton also reportedly involved.
The 34-year-old was also charged by the Scottish Football Association last month for allegedly breaching betting rules.
news_articleWed, 02 Nov 2016 15:48:50 +0000Anonymous645988 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBarton charged for repeatedly betting that matches would be interrupted by two men in horse costumeRangers midfielder in hot water for more illicit gambling, reports Back of the Net.Back of the Nethttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/barton-charged-repeatedly-betting-matches-would-be-interrupted-two-men-horse-costume
Rangers star Joey Barton has been charged by the Scottish Football Association for placing 44 separate bets that football matches would be interrupted by a pantomime horse.
Barton, formerly of Manchester City, QPR and the Sorbonne, is accused of breaching SFA rules by wagering 44 times between July and September this year that two people dressed as a single horse would successfully evade pitchside security at football matches all over the UK.
The 33-year-old midfielder stood to win a substantial sum of money had two or more individuals – one acting as the horse’s back legs, and the other as its front legs and head – entered the pitch and charged around wildly for several minutes, causing play to be suspended while stewards attempted to bring the costumed intruders under control.
Finer details
Barton is also understood to have bet ‘each way’ that the back and front halves of the horse would separate, and that each half would continue to be chased around the pitch by security personnel, their mazy running causing the hapless stewards to run into one another at the very moment they seemed poised to bring them down.
Then, according to the fine print of Barton’s bet, the two halves would reunite before charging down the tunnel together, ditching the costume and escaping into the sunset on a moped while the furious chief steward shook a fist impotently at their exhaust fumes.
A spokesman for Glaswegian bookmakers Knack of the Bet said: “A match being suspended because of two men in a pantomime horse costume is not a bet we see very often, to be honest, but Mr Barton seemed incredibly confident it would happen just as he described, right down to the make of the moped and its cylindrical capacity.
“He’d come in here every Saturday morning looking confident, and then he’d come in again on Wednesday looking sad but determined and double his stake, sometimes adding a detail like the colour of the horse or the girth of the chief steward.
“He was absolutely sure that sooner or later, a football match somewhere would be interrupted by two men, or women, pretending to be a disruptive horse, and he was prepared to put his career on the line for it.”
Appropriate behaviour
An SFA spokesman said: “Gambling on men in horse costumes interrupting football matches is in clear contravention of Disciplinary Rule 31a, which specifies that players may only bet on matches being interrupted by several children standing on one another’s shoulders pretending to be a tall man in an overcoat.
“This has happened three times so far this season, which is about average for this time of year, but we acknowledge that this is a continuing problem in Scottish football and we are taking steps to stamp it out.”
Please note: This fictional news story is not real. Obviously.
More Back of the Net • Funny stuff you’d like
featureThu, 06 Oct 2016 09:20:43 +0000Joe Brewin635370 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comWhat if football personalities did The Apprentice? FourFourTwo imagines…Its that time of year again: when over-confident clots compete in business battles, as Lord Sugar scarcely able to conceal his crushing boredom looks on. Chas Newkey-Burden imagines what would happen if football folk joined the fray...Chas Newkey-Burdenhttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/what-if-football-personalities-did-apprentice-fourfourtwo-imagines
Harry Kane
The archetypal underestimated candidate. At the start, everyone assumes he’s a bit dim but he turns out to be a shrewd, lethal operator.
Graeme Le Saux
Would be the posh, well-educated candidate who Lord Sugar particularly relishes nailing to the wall in the boardroom.
Arsene Wenger
The Gunners boss would absolutely romp home in the shopping round, when candidates have to buy everything on a list as cheaply as possible. He would ultimately finish fourth, treating the outcome as a significant triumph.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The self-assured striker would be in his element in the opening episode, when the candidates introduce themselves with un-self-aware, arrogant brags. “I can’t help but laugh at how perfect I am,” he’d say to the camera. Then, leaving the boardroom following his eventual firing, he would sniff: “I came like a hero, left like a legend.”
Terry Venables
Would fall out bitterly with Lord Sugar, sparking years of litigation.
Jack Wilshere
The pint-sized midfielder would miss most of the tasks after being rushed to hospital with a sprained ankle. Would eventually stumble into the boardroom, slurring about the opposing team: “What d’ya fink of Synergy?”
Jose Mourinho
Task one: winner. Task two: winner. Task three: fired.
Joey Barton
The motor-mouth would court controversy and generally fall out with everyone, like a slightly more masculine Katie Hopkins.Sol Campbell
Would swap sides mid-task.
Andy Gray
The disgraced broadcaster would particularly relish the early stages when men and women are kept apart in separate teams. However, he would ultimately be fired after verbally abusing Karren Brady.
Karren Brady
Would be Karren Brady.
Louis van Gaal
The Dutchman would be one of the candidates who volunteer with suicidal arrogance to be team captain in the first week. Despite mounting a monstrously haughty defence of himself in the boardroom, King Louis would be nailed on to be fired at the first hurdle.
Mark Noble
The one at the back you didn't notice until week six, who is then fired for not contributing enough.
John Terry
Would keep turning up each week, even after he’d been fired.
Harry Redknapp
A brilliant candidate, wheeling and dealing his way through week after week, but in the interview round would furiously storm off after one of Lord Sugar’s quizzical brutes describes him as said “wheeler dealer”.
Sam Allardyce
Back at the house, Big Sam would neck a pint of wine and then give an indiscreet VT interview to the producers. On the You’re Fired spin-off show, he’d complain that “entrapment has won”.
More funny stuff • More features you’d like on FourFourTwo.com
featureThu, 06 Oct 2016 08:21:20 +0000Joe Brewin635335 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comRude scoreboards, wrong flags, Rivaldo's numbers & football's biggest balls-upsTim Ellis picks out nine embarrassing episodes that prove that major gaffes dont just happen on the pitchTim Ellishttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/rude-scoreboards-wrong-flags-rivaldos-numbers-footballs-biggest-balls-ups
1. No title medal for the Player of the Season
When Burnley celebrated clinching the Championship title in front of thousands of their own supporters in May, midfielder Joey Barton didn't receive a winners’ medal. He wasn't best pleased.
Barton, who was voted the club’s player of the season, was due to be the penultimate recipient, but the club had already put 27 players forward despite being told they only had 25 medals to hand out. To rub salt in the wound, Barton was then stopped by a security guard as he walked up to the podium.
The former Manchester City man uncharacteristically threw a strop and refused to lift the trophy when it was passed around, instead celebrating with an inflatable version sourced from the crowd.
"No medal? What's going on? :-)," Barton later tweeted. He got one in the end.
2) Don't mention the war... oh
Following the Euro 2008 game between Germany and Austria, officials in Switzerland were forced to apologise after they mistakenly subtitled the German national anthem with banned war-time lyrics.
Swiss TXT, the company who provided said subtitles, apologised and blamed the error on "a lack of knowledge" on the part of the 25-year-old who had been tasked with finding out the words. Germany proved it was above Austria – in matters of football at least – by winning the match in Vienna 1-0 and knocking their Teutonic neighbours out of the tournament.
Michael Ballack puts Austria to the sword
3) North goes nuts at Southern flag
London 2012 was a major success overall, but that's not to say everything ran smoothly. Perhaps the most embarrassing gaffe came in the women's football event: ahead of a clash with Colombia at Hampden Park, the North Korean side walked off the pitch in protest when their faces were shown alongside the South Korean flag on the stadium's big screen.
"Our players cannot be shown with other flags, especially the South Korean one," raged coach Sin Ui-gun. "If this matter hadn't been solved, continuing [the match] would have been nonsense."
The players only returned to the pitch after organisers had apologised to North Korean officials; suitably riled, theyran out 2-0 winners against the South Americans.
4) Go home, Rome
Roma officials and Italian journalists were incensed when the veteran "Voice of Anfield" stadium announcer George Sephton played the old '50s crooner Arrivederci Roma over the tannoy after Liverpool squeezed through to the quarter-finals of the 2000/01 UEFA Cup at the Serie A side's expense.
Gerard Houllier found himself grilled about the incident in his post-match press conference and was rather blunt in his appraisal, telling the press pack: "I don't pick the music." You tell 'em, Gerard.
5) Rivaldo duplicate sees red
Brazilian outfit Mogi Mirim, owned by former Selecao star Rivaldo, were left rueing their number-crunching after a 3-2 home defeat by Bragantino in the Brazilian Serie B.
Paulão, who started the match wearing No.4, was booked in the first half and recieved a second yellow card six minutes after the break when the fourth official noticed he was wearing the same No.3 shirt as his team-mate Fábio Sanches. To add to their statistical pain, Mogi lost the match - and a point - in the 93rd minute.
6) Home and away keeper clocks up mileage
On the face of it, there was nothing unusual about Brechin goalkeeper Graeme Smith making an 83-mile journey for his team’s Scottish League One clash withStenhousemuir in November. Except that the game was being played at Glebe Park, a two-hour drive away.
Smith's error was spotted by William Hoggan, Stenhousemuir's head of community football, who tweeted:"Brechin City keeper Graeme Smith rocks up to Ochilview Park today but they're the home team. Haha classic."
Despite clocking up unnecessary mileage, Smith still managed to make it on time for the 3pm kick off. Perhaps he shouldn't have bothered: his side lost 2-1 to remain bottom of the division.
7) East Anglian banter goes public
DuringNorwich's 2-1 triumph over Burnley in 2001, the Canaries' electronic scoreboard momentarily flashed up the scoreline for their East Anglian rivals Ipswich's game as "Manchester United 1-0 Scum". A Norwich club statement read: "The club is extremely sorry for any offence caused to our friends and colleagues at Ipswich Town FC and their supporters."
Chief executive Neil Doncaster added: "We are most embarrassed and upset having worked so hard in recent years to foster good relations with Ipswich, including such initiatives as “Shake Hands on Derby Day”.
8) Erm, the old boy's still alive actually...
Fittingly, Charlton Athletic held a minute's applause before a league game with Cardiff for the recently deceased Graham Moore, the midfielder who had played for both clubs during his career, earlier this year.
Unfortunately, though, the Addicks erroneously screened an image of ex-player Alan Campbell instead, forcing them to issue a personal apology to Moore's family at half-time.
9) Mistaken identity at PFA Awards
The PFA Awards is supposed to be a celebration of the season gone by, but this year's event was undermined by a series of printing errors in the official programme.
Northampton midfielder Ricky Holmes, a member of the England C semi-professional team, was confused with Walsall's Romaine Sawyers, who represents St Kitts and Nevis, prompting Holmes to tweet: “I don’t even know who I am!”
Meanwhile, Middlesbrough midfielder Adam Clayton found a biography of Arsenal Ladies star Danielle Carter below his name, and the Championship team of the year included 12 players.
More features every day on FourFourTwo.comfeatureFri, 30 Sep 2016 13:02:07 +0000Greg Lea633433 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBarton was fantastic but he's part of Rangers now - DycheJoey Barton has found an ally in Sean Dyche, but the Burnley boss refused to be drawn into the midfielder's row with Rangers.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/barton-was-fantastic-hes-part-rangers-now-dyche
Sean Dyche has nothing but praise for Joey Barton's attitude during his stint at Burnley, but steered clear of suggesting he could try and tempt the suspended Rangers midfielder back to Turf Moor.
Barton earned Burnley's Player of the Year award after helping the Lancashire club back to the Premier League last season.
He departed for Rangers in the close-season, but is currently suspended from the Ibrox club after trading verbal barbs with team-mate Andy Halliday in the aftermath of the humiliating 5-1 Old Firm defeat to Celtic, with manager Mark Warburton also reportedly involved.
The former Newcastle United midfielder later issued an apology, but was still banished from the club for a week before later being suspended for an extended period.
Dyche, though, claims there was never any question over Barton's commitment at Turf Moor.
"Some situations fit together nicely, and they did here, but I can't say whether they are going to or not with Rangers," said Dyche said at a news conference ahead of Monday's Premier League encounter with Watford.
"Of course he wants it to work there. That's for other people to decide and his relationship with the management team there, that's all for them and not for me. I can only speak of his time here.
"I was thankful for what he did and I think he enjoyed what he did here and he enjoyed the group he was working with. He's gone on to pastures new."
Dyche also insists he bears no grudge over Barton's decision to make the move to Glasgow and swerved questions asking whether he would like to bring Barton back to Lancashire.
"He made that choice [to leave] - there's no angle between me and him and the club and him," he added. "He felt it was a new challenge and it has turned out to be a new challenge, whatever way you look at it.
"It's a massive club who are working hard to get back to where they belong which is certainly around the top of Scottish football, that's for sure
"He's nothing to do with me, he's part of Rangers football club."
news_articleThu, 22 Sep 2016 16:11:26 +0000Anonymous630154 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comQuiz: Who's in Joey Barton's autobiography?Controversial he may be, but which of these topics did Barton cover in his biog?http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/quiz-whos-joey-bartons-autobiography
At FourFourTwo we get sent an awful lot of footballer autobiographies, a lot of awful footballer autobiographies, and some autobiographies of awful footballers. However, when Joey Barton's self-penned tome plopped into the in-tray, there was considerable interest in the office.
But now the always-entertaining Scouse motormouth has graduated from Twitter WUM to published author, which subjects did he choose to cover? Take our quiz to see how well you can judge the mind of Joey Barton... and remember you can hear it from the man himself in the One-on-One of this month's FourFourTwo magazine...
More quizzes at FourFourTwo.comfeatureWed, 21 Sep 2016 08:53:59 +0000Gary Parkinson629478 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comI would be better than Allardyce or Hodgson - BartonDespite being suspended by Rangers for a training ground incident, Joey Barton feels he would adapt well to management.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/i-would-be-better-allardyce-or-hodgson-barton
Joey Barton believes he would be better suited to the role of England manager than Sam Allaradyce or Roy Hodgson.
Midfielder Barton was suspended by Rangers for three weeks on Monday following a training ground row in the wake of their 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Old Firm rivals Celtic.
Despite this latest episode in a career chequered by an array of off-the-field incidents, Barton - who won just one England cap in his international career - feels he would adapt well to the world of management.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, 34-year-old Barton said: "Let's look at who is doing the key roles. Sam Allardyce is England manager. Well, am I a better player than Sam? Well, yeah, of course.
"Do I believe, if Sam can get to be England manager then I can? Of course I do. What's Sam got that I haven't got?
"I look at Roy Hodgson in the England job and look at the way he handled it. Surely even you think you could have done a better job.
On Stoke City manager Mark Hughes, who he played under at QPR, Barton added: "Mark Hughes is a terrible manager. Stoke are bottom of the league.
"I thought his people skills were really, really poor.
"My trade is football. All I've ever known is football. I watch as much football as anybody. I care about football as much as anybody.
"And I might fail. I could dip my toes in the water and go '**** this'.
"But the pressure? If anything I believe I'm better suited to it than anybody else. Do you think when I walk around Glasgow there is no glare?
"Because of everything that has gone before there is a spotlight on you. People are going to judge me now, just based on performances."
news_articleTue, 20 Sep 2016 02:59:10 +0000Anonymous628990 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBarton suspended by RangersJoey Barton has been told to stay away from Rangers for three weeks after an altercation with a team-mate following the defeat to Celtic.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/barton-suspended-rangers
Rangers have suspended Joey Barton for three weeks after claiming "time and space" is required following his much-publicised row with a team-mate in the aftermath of their 5-1 thrashing by Celtic.
Barton and team-mate Andy Halliday traded verbal insults in a debrief session after the September 10 defeat at Celtic Park, with manager Mark Warburton also reportedly involved.
The former Newcastle United and QPR midfielder subsequently issued an apology but was nevertheless banished from the club for a week and called to Ibrox on Monday morning to hear if further action was to be taken.
A Rangers statement confirmed he had been told to stay away for an extended period.
Club Statement: https://t.co/3N5z4YV8sN pic.twitter.com/UzJjP0XOKb
— Rangers FC (@RangersFC) September 19, 2016
It read: "Joey Barton has today been suspended by the club and will not return to Ibrox or Auchenhowie for a period of three weeks.
"The manager, Mark Warburton, and club believe that time and space is required for both the club and the player to assess all that has happened.
"Neither party will make any further statement or comment on this issue."
Barton, 34, joined the Glasgow club in the close season after his contract at Burnley expired with cynics predicting his outspoken nature would eventually land him in trouble.
That scenario has come to pass after just eight appearances for the club.
Barton attempted to clarify exactly what happened with Halliday and Warburton in a radio interview last week, telling talkSPORT: "The manager pulled me in afterwards and asked me to explain what I'd said and I'd told him in no certain terms where I believed it to be at.
"So he's saying I need to go away and think things through. Whilst I didn't agree with that, he's the manager of the football club and I have to accept that.
"But the way it's been handled is strange. When you look at my history and you're told to stay away from the club, it does look like something more has happened, and that's why I've decided to get on the radio and speak."
Asked if he had said sorry to Warburton, Barton continued: "I don't believe I've done anything to apologise for.
"It's the tone of language I've used [that was the problem]. Maybe I don't communicate like somebody who has been educated at Eton, but that's not me, I'm from Liverpool. I communicate how I communicate and I want to win football matches.
"Maybe I could communicate better and I accept that, but the message doesn't change. It's not the wrong message I'm communicating, and it's unfair for anybody to say that is the case.
"It's disappointing but I'm as committed to Glasgow Rangers as the day I signed. There's nothing at all that has altered me from that task.
"We are asked for an opinion and I'm someone who gives an opinion. Two passionate Rangers players have then shared opinions on how we get better and what's going wrong - it's nothing more and nothing less than that.
"There is absolutely no issue with me and Andy. There was no anger. We sat down in the dressing room afterwards and spoke through what was said. It's disappointing that certain people are trying to insinuate that there is, because it's completely false."
news_articleMon, 19 Sep 2016 10:27:33 +0000Anonymous628672 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comWarburton remains tight-lipped on Barton fiascoJoey Barton's absence from Rangers' starting XI in their 0-0 with Ross County was not up for discussion by boss Mark Warburton.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/warburton-remains-tight-lipped-barton-fiasco
Mark Warburton was not willing to discuss Joey Barton's Rangers exile after the club were held to a 0-0 draw by Ross County on Saturday.
The former Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder confirmed on Thursday that he had been banned from training until Monday after clashing with both team-mate Andy Halliday and Warburton.
Barton's absence stemmed from heated discussions about Rangers' 5-1 hammering by Celtic and the midfielder then proceeded to air his thoughts in a radio broadcast, but Warburton is remaining tight-lipped on the matter.
He told reporters: "It's an internal matter that is being dealt with. We won't make any comment on any internal matter.
"It didn't affect our preparations. It's just another matter that you deal with, it's part of the challenge of day-to-day working life.
"We did very well, we trained well and we gave a good performance but didn't get the rewards that I felt we deserved."
news_articleSat, 17 Sep 2016 21:26:02 +0000Anonymous628209 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comI do not owe Warburton apology, says exiled BartonRangers midfielder Joey Barton has spoken out again and defended his position after being banned from the club's training ground.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/i-do-not-owe-warburton-apology-says-exiled-barton
Joey Barton says he does not feel like he owes Rangers manager Mark Warburton an apology after being banned from the club's training ground.
The 34-year-old midfielder had an altercation with team-mate Andy Halliday at training this week as the squad reviewed their heavy 5-1 defeat in the Old Firm derby last weekend.
Barton apologised "unreservedly" on Twitter for his part in the clash, but has now gone into further detail on the incident for which he has been told to stay away from Rangers for ahead of their match with Ross County on Saturday.
"The manager pulled me in afterwards and asked me to explain what I'd said and I'd told him in no certain terms where I believed it to be at," he told talkSPORT.
"So he's saying I need to go away and think things through. Whilst I didn't agree with that, he's the manager of the football club and I have to accept that.
"But the way it's been handled is strange. When you look at my history and you're told to stay away from the club, it does look like something more has happened, and that's why I've decided to get on the radio and speak."
Asked if he had said sorry to Warburton, Barton continued: "I don't believe I've done anything to apologise for.
"It's the tone of language I've used [that was the problem]. Maybe I don't communicate like somebody who has been educated at Eton, but that's not me, I'm from Liverpool. I communicate how I communicate and I want to win football matches.
"Maybe I could communicate better and I accept that, but the message doesn't change. It's not the wrong message I'm communicating, and it's unfair for anybody to say that is the case.
"I'll sit down with Warbs [Warburton] on Monday - that was always the plan. I'll be supporting my team-mates on Saturday - that is all that matters.
"It's disappointing but I'm as committed to Glasgow Rangers as the day I signed. There's nothing at all that has altered me from that task.
"They've told me to stay away but there are a lot of misconceptions out there at the moment. I've been asked to re-evaluate the way I'm thinking, but I don't think that's going to change - I want Rangers to win!
"We lost to our fiercest rivals at the weekend and we've been picking the bones of how we get better, how we get Rangers back to the top of Scottish football.
"We are asked for an opinion and I'm someone who gives an opinion. Two passionate Rangers players have then shared opinions on how we get better and what's going wrong – it's nothing more and nothing less than that.
"There is absolutely no issue with me and Andy. There was no anger. We sat down in the dressing room afterwards and spoke through what was said. It's disappointing that certain people are trying to insinuate that there is, because it's completely false."
news_articleFri, 16 Sep 2016 16:42:05 +0000Anonymous627737 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com